Browse Items · Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

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Where are you going manyoni?

Stock, Catherine

Manyoni, a little girl living near the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe, sees many different animals and wildlife on her walk to school.

Tags

african, animals, baboon, bodies of water, clothing, exercise, food, language, leopard, multicultural, plants, river, school, siblings, sleep, walking, zimbabwe

Arijole's stepsisters are envious of her beauty. They do not want Arijole to be chosen as a wife in a nearby village, so the stepsisters turn her into a dog. When only Arijole (the dog) is left, a mother takes her home for her son to hunt. Soon they realize that Arijole is not a dog but a beautiful woman. She and Obondo are then married.

Tags

africa, beauty, conflict resolution, culture, envy, family, folktale, jealousy, love, marriage, multicultural, nonverbal communication, obedience, parents, respect, self esteem, siblings, stepmother, storytelling

Painted dreams

Williams, Karen Lynn

Ti Marie loves to paint, but her family is too poor to afford paint so she uses bricks, stones and charcoal. One day, as she is walking to the river, she sees Msie Antoine painting a snake and admires his art supplies. Later on in the night she decides to look through his trash to see if he has any left over supplies. She uses them to paint on the wall behind her family's place at the Haitian market. Find out how the people at the market react.

Tags

art, careers, culture, customs, food, haitian, investigation, jungle, language, market, multicultural, nutrition, parents, responsibilities, river, self esteem, siblings, spiritual, success

The village of round and square houses

Grifalconi, Ann

In a village in West Africa, women live in round houses and men live in square houses. After supper, grandmother tells a story about the origin of these houses aand how it is related to the rupturing of volcanic mountain, Naka.

Tags

african, celebration, coping, family, folktale, generations, grandparents, mountains, multicultural, nature, parents, respect, shapes, siblings, storytelling, traditions

The most important gift of all

Conway, David

Ama wants to honor her newborn baby brother with a special gift, as is the custom of the people in her village. When Grandma Sisi suggests the gift of love Ama sets off in search of this important present, but how will she know when she has found it? This story celebrates a young girl's discovery of the most important gift of all.

Tags

africa, african, animals, baby, birds, birth, celebration, clouds, community, critical thinking, discovery, dreams, family, giraffe, grandparents, lion, love, multicultural, parents, rain, siblings, stars, tree, village

My painted house, my friendly chicken, and me

Angelou, Maya

Thandi, an eight-year-old Ndebele girl who lives in a village in South Africa with her mother, aunts, sisters, and mischievous younger brother, shares her secrets with her best friend, a chicken.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bicycle, chicken, colors, customs, dragonfly, family, friendship, jewelry, language, mischief, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, pattern, photograph, play, siblings, storytelling, village

How sitali learned a lesson

Mashiri, Pascal

As the oldest in his family Sitali is supposed to hunt and provide for his younger sisters. He learns a lesson about self-control and hard work after being made chief and then losing it all.

Tags

african, african american, apathy, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, folktale, laziness, multicultural, obedience, parents, peer resistance, refusal skills, responsibilities, river, siblings, storytelling, village

Wee and the wright brothers

Gaffney, Timothy

An educational story told from Wee the mouse's point of view, of how the Wright brothers succeeded in flight. Wee, an ambitious mouse, tells the story in a humorous yet detailed way of the historical Wright brothers and their flying machine.

When charlie mcbutton lost power

Collins, Suzanne

Charlie loves to play computerized games. When lightning strikes a nearby tower, Charlie's home is left without power. After several poor choices in finding something to occupy his time, Charlie discovers he can have fun without plugging in.

Tags

activities, affection, aggression, behavior, closeness, computer, conflict resolution, consequences, critical thinking, decision making, family, imagination, lightning, playing, rhyme, siblings, storm, technology, weather

Picnic

McCully, Emily Arnold

Have you ever been lost or disconnected by those you love? Little Bitty experiences those experiences when she accidentally falls out of the truck on the way to a family picnic. Will the mouse family successfully find Little Bitty?

Tags

accidents, animals, family, feelings, hunger, loneliness, lost, mouse, nature, parents, picnic, sadness, siblings

If nathan were here

Bahr, Mary

Nathan was a brother, a wonderful best friend, and a great classmate. Then one day, Nathan was gone. If Nathan Were Here tells a story of what it is like for a community and family to lose a loved one. This book shows us the true need and meaning for friendship.

Tags

baseball, change, coping, death, family, feelings, friendship, happiness, loss, love, memories, nonverbal communication, sadness, school, siblings, sports, stress management

The promise quilt

Ransom, Candice

A little girl, living in the mountaintops of Virginia, wants to go to school. Her father promises to send her when she is old enough, but he goes off to fight in the civil war. During the war the school and books are burned. Find a special way to build a new school.

Tags

books, critical thinking, decision making, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, history, loss, parents, poverty, prayer, quilt, reading, rhyme, sadness, siblings, war, writing

Myrtle

Pearson, Tracey Campbell

Myrtle the mouse has a very happy life until Frances the bully moves in next door. The bully won't leave her and her brother alone, so myrtle refuses to play outside anymore. Myrtle's aunt from Africa convinces her to come back outside and arms her with a plan to stop the bully.

Tags

african, animals, assertiveness, bully, conflict resolution, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, happiness, mouse, multicultural, parents, problem solving, sadness, self confidence, shyness, siblings, stress management

Big bad wolf

Marurel, Claire

Things aren't always what they seem. The villagers keep talking about a big, bad wolf and describe him. Their details are accurate, but skewed a little. The wolf has a family just like them and kisses his children good night after a run in the forest.

Tags

animals, bedtime, day, discovery, fable, family, folktale, forest, night, nonverbal communication, parents, siblings, tree, verbal communication, wolf

Just like new

Manson, Ainslie

It is a time of war and children in England won't have Christmas presents. A little girl's class decides to give gifts they love that are like new. The little girl unselfishly gives up her most cherished doll and inserts a note, and a girl from England becomes her pen pal after receiving the gift.

Tags

books, canada, charity, christmas, church, correspondence, critical thinking, decision making, dolls, empathy, england, family, feelings, food, friendship, happiness, history, holidays, maps, multicultural, nutrition, parents, sadness, ship, siblings, toys, transportation, verbal communication, war

Welcoming babies

Knight, Margy Burns

People celebrate the gift of a new baby in different ways around the world. Babies are welcomed into their families using different customs like singing, kissing, touching, blessing, naming, and other special actions.

Tags

adoption, afghani, african, cambodian, correspondence, customs, family, food, glossary, grandparents, indian, iranian, Jewish, korean, language, multicultural, muslim, native american, pakistani, parents, puerto rican, quakers, siblings, spanish, spiritual, traditions, vietnamese

Do like Kyla

Johnson, Angela

A little girl looks up to her older sister Kyla. Anything Kyla does, her little sister mimics. Her adoration for her sister is evident from waking up to bedtime.

Tags

activities, affection, bedtime, body parts, books, clothing, exercise, family, food, friendship, nutrition, parents, reading, relationship, seasons, self esteem, sequence, shopping, siblings, snow, verbal communication, walking, winter

Maria's comet

Hopkinson, Deborah

A little girl dreams of being an astronomer like her father. She daydreams of catching a comet by the tail to sweep the sky and stars. She tries hard to hold onto her dreams while being forced to the forefront of reality.

Tags

assertiveness, astronomy, bias, biography, bodies of water, careers, decision making, discovery, exploration, family, grandparents, history, moon, ocean, parents, planet, ship, siblings, stars, technology, transportation, vision

Nutik, the wolf pup

Gearge, Jean

As Eskimo girl brings a sickly wolf pup home to her brother who cares for it until it's old enough to rejoin the pack. The two grow close, so when it is time for the pup to leave, they can't say good-bye.

Tags

animals, caring, companion, conflict resolution, courage, decision making, family, feelings, multicultural, native american, nonverbal communication, parents, pets, sadness, show, siblings, storytelling, weather, wolf

Good night sam

Gay, Marie-Louise

Sam and Stella lay down to go to sleep, but Sam can't fall asleep without his dog Fred. Stella gets up to help him find his dog. They look everywhere before giving up and going back to bed. They find Fred asleep in Sam's bed!

Tags

animals, bedtime, critical thinking, dog, family, fear, feelings, moon, night, siblings, sleep, stress management, verbal communication

Miss Bridie chose a shovel

Conner, Leslie

In 1856, Miss Bridie traveled to America with only her family shovel. She finds many uses for her shovel and it proves to be the right choice. She carves her path through life with a simple everyday shovel.

Tags

aging, baby, critical thinking, death, drought, exercise, family, farm, feelings, flood, flowers, garden, happiness, history, ice, immigrants, loss, marriage, parents, plants, sadness, seasons, ship, siblings, skating, tools, transportation, travel

Pumpkin day!

Wallace, Nancy Elizabeth

A rabbit goes to a farm to learn about pumpkins. The parents teach their children how they grow, how to carve them, and how to cook multiple recipes with this great vegetable.

Tags

animals, autumn, change, critical thinking, family, farm, food, garden, learning, nutrition, parents, plants, rabbit, recipe, science, seasons, seed, self esteem, siblings, vegetables, verbal communication

Grandpa's gamble

Michelson, Richard

A brother and sister are tired of always having to be quiet so as not to interrupt Grandpa Sam while he is praying. The children think they have a very boring grandfather. Grandpa Sam overhears the children and tells them the story of his life. He was born a Jew in Poland and to escape persecution he came to the United States. He learns to gamble to make a living but when his daughter becomes very ill he decides to lead an honest, humble life and pray every morning and night. The children are now amazed by their Grandpa Sam's story and respect his prayer time.

Tags

author's note, boredom, culture, faith, family, forgiveness, grandparents, holidays, immigrants, Jewish, multicultural, parents, passover, photograph, prayer, religion, siblings, storytelling, stress management

Little sister and the Month brothers

Schenk de Regniers, Beatrice

A retelling of the Slavic folktale in which the Month brothers' magic helps Little Sister fulfill seemingly impossible tasks. Little Sister's tasks prove the undoing of her greedy stepmother and stepsister.

Tags

animals, author's note, comparisons, cow, fable, feelings, flowers, food, hard work, month, peace, resentment, responsibilities, royalty, seasons, siblings, stepmother

Hello baby!

Rockwell, Lizzy

It is such a special time when there's a new baby on the way. This little boy has been involved in his new sister's life since the beginning. He went to the doctor with his mommy and helped unpack baby clothes. When his baby sister is born, he is the happiest boy in the world!

Tags

baby, bath, birth, body parts, clothing, doctor, excitement, family, feelings, grandparents, happiness, memories, numbers, parents, photograph, pregnancy, rhythm, sequence, siblings, surprises

Pemba Sherpa

Cossi, Olga

Perma, a nyuny pa,or old man, tells a story from when he had to gather firewood for school as young boy. One morning his sister Yang Ki says she wants to go with him. Yang Ki wants to be a Sherpa but girls aren't allowed. That morning she disobeys her brother and follows him, but when Pemba falls in a landslide, Yang Ki becomes the heroine and proves that girls can be brave and strong.

Tags

assertiveness, climbing, courage, critical thinking, family, gender, goal setting, helping, heroism, injury, mountains, multicultural, obedience, problem solving, safety, siblings, village, walking

First pooch: The Obamas pick a pet

Boston Weatherford, Carole

Throughout their father's twenty-two month campaign for president, Malia and Sasha Obama beg their parents for a dog. Finally, when their father becomes the forty-fourth president of the United States, he rewards their patience and good behavior in his victory speech: Malia and Sasha will get their new puppy. What type of dog will they choose? Finally, on April 14th, 2009, a new puppy moves into the White House. It is a Portuguese water dog, and the girls name him Bo.

Tags

allergies, american, animals, author's note, comparisons, decision making, dog, family, health, history, numbers, pets, president, secrets, sequence, siblings, success, united states

Mama Elizabeti

Strure-Bodeen, Stephanie

Elizabeti has been taking care of her rock doll, Eva, and is not worried when it comes time for her to take care of Obedi, her younger brother. Throughout the day, Elizabeti quickly finds out Obedi is a handful compared to her rock doll Eva, but is rewarded with Obedi's love at the end of a difficult day.

Tags

african, baby, change, child care, critical thinking, culture, dolls, family, helping, love, multicultural, parents, siblings, stress management, toys

Mufaro's beautiful daughters: An African tale

Steptoe, John

The king of Zimbabwe is choosing a new wife. Mufaro sends his two beautiful daughters to be considered. The main difference between the daughters is that one has a kind temperment and the other has a bad temper.

Tags

african, differences, family, feelings, folktale, jealousy, marriage, nonverbal communication, parents, plants, royalty, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, zimbabwe

Count on your fingers African style

Zaslavsky, Claudia

This beautifully illustrated four color picture book takes children through the markets, showing traditional finger counting of various African people - the Maasai, the Kamba, and the Taita in Kenya, the Zulu of South Africa, and the Mende of Sierra Leone. This book examines the role that numbers play in creating a common language across cultural boundaries.

Tags

africa, african, author's note, body parts, cattle, chicken, counting, cow, food, fruit, games, language, learning, market, multicultural, nonverbal communication, numbers, parents, play, school, siblings, verbal communication

Recycle every day!

Wallace, Nancy Elizabeth

Through a poster contest at school, Minna and her family discover many ways they can recycle. Many of the other contestants' posters demonstrate ways to recycle, however Minna ultimately wins the contest through her poster that reminds everyone to re-re-remember, re-re-recycle every day.

A child's day in a Ghanaian city

Provencal, Francis & McNamara, Catherine

Nii Kwei gets up with the sun, and at half past five, he's already hard at work chasing the chickens and sweeping the compound clean with his straw broom. As the city begins to wake up, he washes, changes into his school uniform, and sits down to chocolate milk and sandwiches for breakfast. Photographs capture the lively rhythms of West African daily life, and this delightful dawn-to-dusk journal will encourage young readers, wherever they live, to compare and contrast Nii Kwei's day with their own.

Tags

africa, african, author's note, band, bath, bodies of water, chores, cooking, family, ghana, hygiene, language, math, multicultural, music, parents, play, school, sea, siblings, soccer, sports

For you are a Kenyan child

Cunnane, Kelly

Follow a little Kenyan boy through his village on a typical but eventful day in Kenya. He learns an important lesson about listening to his elders as he visits with the neighbors in his village.

Tags

africa, african, animals, beetle, butterfly, chicken, cow, dog, dove, family, forgetful, forgiveness, friendship, games, goat, grandparents, hunting, insects, kenyan, lion, lizard, monkey, moth, multicultural, parents, pride, respect, siblings, sleep, traditions, tree, village

One child, one seed: A south african counting book

Cave, Kathryn

Play a simple counting game. Watch a pumpkin grow. Follow young Nothando and discover the rhythms of her daily life in her South African village.

Tags

africa, african, cattle, chicken, cleanliness, cooking, counting, cow, dog, family, farm, friendship, games, garden, hard work, home, language, numbers, parents, photograph, plants, play, preparation, siblings, summer, walking

Bird

Elliot, Zetta

Mehkai struggles with the challenges of life: death of his grandfather and his older brother's drug addition. He soon learns how to cope and manage his stress through drawing. In fact, drawing is an outlet for Bird's emotions and imagination. Mehkai learns the benefits of perseverance, hard work, and family.

Tags

african american, aggression, airplane, art, birds, buildings, crime, day, death, decision making, drawing, dreams, drugs, emotions, family, feelings, grandparents, hard work, imagination, instruments, loss, museum, music, park, problem solving, relationship, robbery, school, siblings, storytelling, stress management, technology

Clown

Blake, Quentin

Clown and his friends are thrown into a garbage can in the city by a woman who no longer wants them around. Clown, however, hops out of the garbage and wanders the city to look for someone to love them. By accident, Clown finds a family and he and his buddies live happily ever after. (A Wordless Book)

Tags

baby, bear, birds, clowns, conflict resolution, critical thinking, disappointment, elephant, family, fear, feelings, friendship, goal setting, happiness, kindness, love, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, siblings, toys

Pig william

Dubanevich, Arlene

William takes his time doing everything. One day he messes around so long that he misses the bus and also the school picnic. At home, William takes his fish and radio outside for his own picnic. At the school picnic, it starts to rain and the picnic is cancelled. By the time his brothers arrive home, it stopped raining and they join in his picnic.

Tags

decision making, family, music, picnic, play, procrastination, rain, recreation, school, self esteem, siblings, time, transportation, weather

Tim's last voyage

Ardizzone, Edward

A brother and sister are extra crew members on a ship. It is not as easy as they thought to work on a ship. They face many adventures and dangers together.

Tags

adventures, assertiveness, coping, family, goal setting, siblings, teamwork, travel

Breakfast with my father

Roy, Ron

When David's mother and father are separated, David and his dad only see each other during their special Saturday morning breakfasts. All winter, David's dad comes every Saturday except for one. After sulking all morning, David goes downstairs in his house and is pleasantly surprised to see his mom and dad eating breakfast together.

Tags

change, coping, disappointment, divorce, family, feelings, food, happiness, love, nutrition, parents, sadness, seasons, separation, siblings, surprises, winter

Five live bongos

Lyon, Ella

Five brothers and sisters make a giant drum set from a bunch of junk. They gather this junk from their garage and from a garbage dump. They play music all day long.

Tags

conflict resolution, decision making, family, feelings, five senses, happiness, music, nonverbal communication, siblings, sounds, verbal communication

Beep beep, vroom vroom!

Murphy, Stuart J.

Molly wants to play with her big brother's brightly colored toy cars just like him. But her family thinks she is too little to share Kevin's cars and besides, he likes to keep them in a special order. Each family member catches Molly playing with Kevin's cars and they help her put them back the way Kevin likes them. In the end, Molly gets a surprise of her own!

Tags

animals, author's note, birthday, car, colors, disobedience, dog, family, fun, helping, parents, playing, sequence, siblings, sizes, sounds, transportation

The roman twins

Gerrard, Roy

Maximus and his twin sister Vanilla are slaves to the cruel master Slobbus Pompius. They run away when Slobbus buys Polydox the horse then quickly decides to kill him. Maximus and Vanilla go through a chariot race and an invasion of Rome before they finally gain their freedom.

Tags

animals, architecture, assertiveness, bravery, critical thinking, decision making, freedom, heroism, history, horse, peer resistance, rhyme, siblings, slavery, war, work

I hate my brother harry

Dragonwagon, Crescent

Nobody believes that Harry's little sister hates him, not even their parents. He confuses her sometimes by being nice, but then he is mean. Finally, she finds out that Harry really likes her, so she decides she likes him too.

Tags

family, feelings, nonverbal communication, parents, self esteem, siblings, teamwork, verbal communication

The christmas coat

Bulla, Clyde Robert

Two brothers, Otto and Hans, are always fighting. Their mother wishes they would act like loving brothers. The brothers accidentally rip a jacket while fighting and must work together to repair it. The mother has her wish granted.

Tags

conflict resolution, family, siblings, teamwork

Two dog biscuits

Cleary, Beverly

Jimmy and Janet each get a dog biscuit from their neighbor. Since they don't have a dog to give the biscuits to, they go on a walk with their mother to find one. After searching for the perfect dog, they decide to give the biscuits to a cat, who eats them quickly.

Tags

animals, cat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dog, exercise, family, food, neighbors, pets, refusal skills, sharing, siblings, verbal communication

Going west

Waddell, Martin

A little girl experiences one of the most dramatic changes in her life. While going west to build a new home, she learns to cope with many different things. She regains hopes and dreams for her new home.

Grandma essie's covered wagon

Williams, David

A father wants to give his family the best life in the best places. Through all their moving and adventures, they realize there's nothing as wonderful as a family and a home.

Slither mccreep and his brother, joe

Johnston, Tony

Slither McCreep, a young snake, is upset that his brother, Joe, won't share his toys. Out of anger, Slither breaks Joe's toys. Later, he feels guilty and tries to make up with Joe.

Tags

aggression, conflict resolution, destruction, family, feelings, guilt, jealousy, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, reptiles, sharing, siblings, snake, toys

My little sister ate one hare

Grossman, Bill

A little girl can eat almost anything -- except her peas!An excellent counting book for young children.

Tags

amphibians, animals, ant, bat, counting, family, food, frog, hare, hunger, insects, lizard, mouse, nonverbal communication, numbers, nutrition, poetry, reptiles, rhyme, sequence, siblings

Has winter come?

Watson, Wendy

The Bear family gets ready for winter. The children can't feel it coming, so their parents let them help prepare. The children fall asleep and dream of winter.

Tags

decision making, dreams, family, parents, preparation, seasons, siblings, sleep, verbal communication, winter

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